Andy Fragen 6:11 pm on March 28, 2023
Tags: call for testing ( 5 ), feature plugins ( 120 )

Call for Testing: Plugin Dependencies UX

We are seeking basic workflow feedback for the Plugin Dependencies feature. Testing should be very straightforward.

The testing pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party was chosen because it fulfilled the following criteria:

Plugin is in the plugin repository.
Plugin has the required Requires Plugins headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes. for Plugin Dependencies.

How to Test

Install and activate the Plugin Dependencies feature plugin.
Install and activate The Events Calendar CategoryCategory The 'category' taxonomy lets you group posts / content together that share a common bond. Categories are pre-defined and broad ranging. Colors plugin.

The goal is to see how intuitive the process is or might become.

Feedback

What did you do?
Did you get stuck? Where?
- Were you able to figure out the path forward?
- What did you do?
Did the experience feel “natural” to WordPress?

Thanks for testing. Testing should last for 3 weeks.

Please add your feedback in the comments.

+make.wordpress.org/test/

#call-for-testing, #feature-plugins

JS Morisset 6:22 pm on March 28, 2023

In case you’re interested, this pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpsso-wc-metadata/ uses the requires plugins headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes. and requires two plugins; wpsso and woocommerce.

js.
Morteza Geransayeh 7:04 am on March 29, 2023
First, I installed and activate “PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party Dependencies”, after that, I installed “The Events Calendar CategoryCategory The 'category' taxonomy lets you group posts / content together that share a common bond. Categories are pre-defined and broad ranging. Colors” plugin.

In “Plugins”, when I want to activate “The Events Calendar Category Colors” plugin, it shows me “Cannot Activate”, then I clicked on “Dependencies”, it goes to “Add Plugins” with “The Events Calendar”.

After installation of “The Events Calendar”, I return to “Plugins” again and activate the “The Events Calendar: Category Colors”.

The good point is, I couldn’t deactivate the “The Events Calendar” until(due to) deactivation of “The Events Calendar: Category Colors” plugin.

Everything looks fine and normal for WordPress but some suggestions:
- I think “Cannot Activate” message needs some change to be better to show/understand(with colors or change text or…) for newbies.
- In first look, “Dependencies” item is not related to “Cannot Activate” message.
- In “Dependencies” (Add Plugins), after plugins activation, the user must return to plugins list and it doesn’t redirect itself.
- tropicalista 6:25 pm on March 29, 2023
  
  I agree that a more detailed message is needed. Something as “Install dependencies first” or giving prominence to “Requires” section.
  
  After installing dependencies I’m redirected to plugins list.
David Perez 9:24 am on April 1, 2023

I don’t understand, why is only for plugins in the repository? It should work with any, and we could make like custom message for that kind of plugins.
- Paul Biron 2:44 pm on April 1, 2023
  
  It does work for plugins that aren’t in the WordPress pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party directory. However, it can’t be guaranteed that plugins that aren’t hosted in the repo can be installed, when necessary.
  
  For instance, suppose you make Gravity Forms addon and put Requires Plugins: gravityforms in headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes. of your addon. The dependency feature pluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins. will prevent your addon from being activated unless Gravity Forms is installed and activated. However, because there is no publicly accessible “install” URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org for Gravity Forms, the feature plugin can’t provide a UIUI User interface for installing it.
  
  That’s unfortunate, but there’s not much that can be done about it.
- Colin Stewart 12:39 am on April 5, 2023
  
  The first phase of PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party Dependencies is intended to handle repository plugins. Next, we’ll look at free non-repository plugins. Then, if possible, we’ll look at premium plugins.
  
  For premium plugins, this requires more consideration as there are quite a few different approaches that premium plugin authors use to deliver download links. Some require data the site owner could enter, some require data computed on the author’s server, some require both, etc.
  
  It’s important that we consider the full scope of the feature at all times, but that we split the feature into phases. This makes it more manageable in terms of research, development, review, introduction to site owners, and backward compatibility.
Andy Fragen 12:50 am on April 5, 2023

Is this more clear?
- Colin Stewart 12:58 am on April 5, 2023
  This:
  - Adds the active verb “Manage” to the “Dependencies” link. “Manage” is used as the dependencies may need to be installed, or they may just need to be activated.
  - Repositions the link from the end of the list, to always after “Cannot Activate” to help draw attention to it.
  @man4toman @tropicalista What do you think?
  - Morteza Geransayeh 7:37 am on April 5, 2023
    
    Now it looks better to me, “Manage Dependencies” is more clear than “Dependencies”, also reposition it cause better understanding and relation here.
Sé Reed 10:45 pm on April 7, 2023

I did this testing on the fly while working on a client site because I was genuinely about to use this pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party and @courane01 just slipped this test into my DMS like a boss. This is extremely straightforward. Without TEC installed it says I need to install it. With it installed it says TEC is required. I like that the dependencies go both ways, ie TEC says “Required by: The Events Calendar: CategoryCategory The 'category' taxonomy lets you group posts / content together that share a common bond. Categories are pre-defined and broad ranging. Colors”. It also removes the “deactivate” option for TEC when the dependent plugin is activated.

My only suggestion: I wonder if greying out the Deactivate option would be more effective than removing it completely because visually the “required by” notice and the “deactivate” option are not in quite the same place and it could possibly cause a few moments of head-scratching.

Pretty sweet tool all around. Props. Go coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.!
- Andy Fragen 10:49 pm on April 7, 2023
  
  Thanks Sé.
  
  As a dependency you cannot deactivate it unless the dependent pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party is deactivated first. Consider it a safety measure.

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Call for Testing: Plugin Dependencies UX

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